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The Role of Color in Human Face Detection

Bindemann, Markus, Burton, A. Mike (2009) The Role of Color in Human Face Detection. Cognitive Science, 33 (6). pp. 1144-1156. ISSN 0364-0213. (doi:10.1111/j.1551-6709.2009.01035.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:26205)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1551-6709.2009.01035.x

Abstract

Significant advances have been made in understanding human face recognition. However, a fundamental aspect of this process, how faces are located in our visual environment, is poorly understood and little studied. Here we examine the role of color in human face detection. We demonstrate that detection performance declines when color information is removed from faces, regardless of whether the surrounding scene context is rendered in color. Furthermore, faces rendered in unnatural colors are hard to detect, suggesting a role beyond simple segmentation. When faces are presented such that half the surface is colored appropriately, and half unnaturally, performance declines. This suggests that observers are not simply using the presence of skin color ‘‘patches’’ to detect faces. Rather, our data suggest that detection operates via a face template combining diagnostic color and face-shape information. These findings are consistent with color-template approaches used in some computer-based face detection systems.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2009.01035.x
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Markus Bindemann
Date Deposited: 05 Jan 2011 17:43 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:04 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/26205 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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